


you’re the one i wanted to find

by earlgrey_milktea



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, YouTube channels, mostly ambiguous tswift lyrics, what happens when you put these two tropes together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27581467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgrey_milktea/pseuds/earlgrey_milktea
Summary: Oikawa is a famous pop star. Hinata is the charming undergrad who sings covers of his songs on YouTube.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 76
Kudos: 576





	you’re the one i wanted to find

**Author's Note:**

> (Super Late) OiHinaWeek Day 6 & 7: Soulmates/Free Prompt
> 
> I was blessed enough to win Soda's art giveaway and requested her to capture a scene from this fic!  
> [LOOK HOW PERFECT THEY ARE!!](https://twitter.com/earlgrey_mt/status/1360465194036658176?s=20)

Not everyone gets a soulmate.

That’s what his sister tells him one day as she gently presses her fingers against the blooming colors of the mark on his wrist. The lines are still delicate, barely forming into a pattern just yet—but soon, she says, soon his mark would fully form and that meant that _he_ was lucky enough to get a soulmate.

“Someone who’s meant just for you, Tooru,” his Nee-chan proclaims in a bright tone, grinning when he looks up at her in awe.

_Someone just for me?_

There's a burst of excitement that soon tapers off into confusion as Oikawa considers her words, scrunching up his face in thought. “But why doesn’t everyone get one, Nee-chan? That’s not fair.” He looks down at his sister’s arm then, and she dutifully follows his gaze, tilting her head to contemplate the smooth, bare skin of her wrist.

“Well,” she begins, her brown eyes becoming wistful, “I heard that a long time ago, everyone used to have a soulmate.”

As she speaks, her hands absentmindedly come up to card through his hair, and Oikawa settles comfortably back into her lap, looking up at her through long lashes. 

“But I suppose...people stopped liking the idea that they belonged to just one person their entire lives, and they stopped trying to find their soulmates. They wanted to choose their own destinies—choose the people they fell in love with. And then over time, less and less people were born with marks.”

Oikawa furrows his brows at that, wondering why _anyone_ would choose _not_ to find their soulmate. If you asked him, belonging to someone...sounded _nice_. That meant that out of all of the people in the entire world, there was _one person_ that he was meant to be with. One person who was meant to be his other half. 

Why would he want to settle for anything _less_ than that?

He voices this out loud, and his sister chuckles at his huffy tone, smiling down at him softly.

“Maybe they like having the choice."

“Well, what if they’re choosing _wrong_?” Oikawa challenges, narrowing his eyes in thought. 

She sighs at that, shrugging her shoulders as he shifts restlessly in her lap. “If they’re happy, then does it matter?”

“But what if they could be _happier_ , if they had only waited for the right person?” Oikawa questions, even more insistently this time, because the entire concept is beginning to bother him the more he thinks about it. “What if they are really just settling for like...an _‘okay’_ level of happiness, and they don’t even know it?”

"And who are you to say that their happiness is somehow _less than_?" His sister shoots back, arching a delicate brow as his expression turns waspish in response.

"But—" 

His Nee-chan pokes him in the forehead with her index finger, interrupting his line of thinking. “You know, it’s a good thing that it’s you, I guess.”

Oikawa wrinkles his nose at her with a pout. “Why’s that?

“Well, nowadays...having a soulmate is really rare.”

Her words make him recall the way his classmates at school had _oohed_ and _ahhed_ when his mark first started to appear, gathering around his desk and leaning in close to catch a glimpse of it.

_‘A soulmark?’_ They had gasped in surprise, clambering over one another to get closer, and Oikawa was torn between the desire to preen at the attention and simultaneously pull his sleeve down, defiantly hiding it from view. 

He supposes that it must be easier for everyone else, to not have to think about this kind of stuff. They didn’t have to worry about having their destinies marked for them—imprinted on their skin, plain for the whole world to see.

“What do you think it means?” Oikawa asks, absentmindedly tracing the blossoming lines of his mark that grew more intricate and prominent by the day. He wonders if the colors actually mean anything—if the orange and turquoise and hazel that mark his skin are meant to be some sort of clue—the smallest of hints of the kind of person his soulmate is supposed to be like.

His Nee-chan pauses momentarily, dark brown eyes becoming pensive as she gently eases a stray tangle from his bangs. “I think it means that the kind of love you’re destined for is _special_ , Tooru.”

_Special._

Oikawa beams at the word, feeling the same rush of excitement from earlier course through him once again. He realizes that he really likes the sound of it.

It makes him feel like he and his soulmate are a part of something grander. You know, the kind of love they wrote stories and sang songs about…

_That_ kind of love.

“How do I find them, Nee-chan?” Oikawa asks, reaching up to tug lightly at the dark brown strands of her hair to get her attention. “My soulmate?” 

“You’ve got to look for them, silly,” she says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world, and the older girl can't help but laugh when the eight-year-old makes a face at her.

“But out of all of the bajillion people in the _entire_ world...how am I supposed to do that?” Oikawa whines, already imagining the impossibility of it all—like finding a needle in a haystack or a single star in a vast constellation. Where did he even start?

Seeming to ignore his growing sense of urgency, his Nee-chan only winks at him, squeezing one of his cheeks when he playfully sticks his tongue out at her in turn.

“Well, if you’re lucky, Tooru-chan, maybe one day they’ll find you.”

-

**JPop’s Former Teen Idol Talks about Balancing School, Music, and Finding His Soulmate**

New York City — Oikawa Tooru, everyone’s favorite award-winning artist and former teen idol, wants you to know that he’s just a normal college student on his off days. 

“I have to study for exams and everything, and my time management skills are really being put to the test,” says the handsome brunette, sitting in the plush lobby of the Marriot, clad in a pair of stylish ripped jeans, a plain white T-shirt and a tan corduroy cardigan pulled on top. “One of my biggest regrets is that I missed going to high school. I had to do everything online, because I was on the road so much. Sometimes, I feel like I would be a better student now if I had just gone in person.”

The singer-songwriter-producer has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide in just under five years time. (His 2010 debut, “Finding Me in You,” still remains one of Japan’s best-selling albums in history.) Apart from being a sold-out pop idol back at home, the 24-year-old juggles his time between recording and cramming his aerospace engineering lectures in his brain here at NYU. 

You might be asking—how does Oikawa Tooru balance it all? 

The young male laughs charmingly at the question. “It’s a lot of hard work, but I love what I do. Writing and making music has always been my passion, ever since I was a kid. But recently, I’ve been wanting to pursue some of my other interests as well. So, it helps that I’ve got a great crew that helps to lighten my load!”

His creative team includes big names in the industry such as Matsukawa Issei, former pop rival turned music producer, and Hanamaki Takahiro, the brains behind his label. In addition to these two, you might recognize Oikawa Tooru’s childhood friend in the mix, Iwaizumi Hajime, who has recently taken on the official role as the pop star’s manager.

“Everyone is really hard-working and extremely talented. I am very lucky to have them,” Oikawa adds, in reference to his team.

When asked about his inspiration for writing the majority of his lyrics, the pop star grins. “I guess I’ve always been a fan of love stories, you know? I like to picture these scenarios in my head, of meeting that perfect person...and the words kind of just fall out of me.”

And as many of you must be wondering—just who _is_ Oikawa Tooru’s ‘perfect person’? The famous idol has always been extremely hush-hush in regards to his destined soulmate. Despite countless paparazzi attempting to capture a glimpse of the star’s fated mark, no one has ever actually seen it outside of a few trusted individuals in his inner circle.

_(Did you know that only 1 out of every 1000 individuals are born with a soulmark? Click here to view our Top 10 list of famous celebs who have flaunted their fated marks!)_

“I just don’t think displaying my mark to the whole world is the way I want to go about it,” the bilingual NYU student reveals, playing with the bands on his wrist that carefully hide his famed soulmark from view. “I suppose you could say I’m a romantic in that sense. Every song that I’ve written...they’ve kind of been my way of finding them. Maybe it’s silly, but I’d like to think that somewhere out there is my soulmate, and if I write a song that’s good enough—it’ll reach them somehow, you know?”

That’s right, guys. You heard that clearly. Our resident heartthrob isn’t giving up on his search for his soulmate anytime soon. While many of us are understandably heartbroken by the news that the pop star is, by all intents and purposes, taken—I think we can all agree that whoever Oikawa Tooru’s soulmate is...they are one very lucky person.

_(Next Up! Take a peek into the Miya Twins’ 3.2 million-dollar home in Los Angeles. You won’t believe what shocking movie prop they have displayed in their living room!)_

-

“Hey. You need to watch this.”

Oikawa shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over one of the dining chairs, yawning slightly as he meanders his way over to the couch where his manager is currently hunched over and looking at something on his phone. 

The singer leans over curiously to peer at the video pulled up on Iwaizumi’s screen. It’s a guy, around his age, maybe even younger, and he’s sitting on a sad-looking twin sized bed in what looks to be a college dorm room. He’s got a ridiculous messy sprawl of orange hair and large, expressive brown eyes that somehow make the guy look more adorable than he should have any right to be.

_Cute_ , Oikawa automatically thinks, as he tilts his head to the side curiously. “Who is that?” There is something about the orange hair that strikes a chord in him, and he squints his eyes in thought, trying to pinpoint what exactly about the guy that feels so strangely _familiar._

And that’s when he hears it.

The soft strumming of the guitar that the guy’s holding delicately in his hands becomes more pronounced, changing chords—it's the beginning of a familiar song. _His_ song. 

“Hey, wait a second…” 

_"Untouchable, b_ _urning brighter than the sun,"_ the orange-haired male in the video sings, eyes closed as his body sways along to the melody, " _And when you’re close,_ _I feel like I’m coming undone."_

The kid is clearly _talented_ , Oikawa observes immediately—but not in that annoyingly forced, soulful way that so many singers these days try to be. Instead, the guy in the video seems to effortlessly carry a brightness in each note that cuts through the sound of his own strumming. And despite the fact that he’s singing lyrics that Oikawa himself wrote, it’s almost like he’s hearing his own song for the first time, in startling clarity.

Oikawa finds that he can’t take his eyes off of him. When the orange-haired kid plucks a particular tricky note and manages to get it, he beams at the camera—his grin all wide and toothy with his eyes crinkling around the edges, showing off his dimples, and Oikawa swear-to-god _swoons._ It's an effort to stop himself from smiling goofily back at the image of the other male, even as he continues on playing.

“His username is _Ninja_Shouyou_ ,” Iwaizumi says as the pop star continues to remain riveted to the video playing on the screen, “Apparently he’s some kid that goes to university nearby here, and he’s a huge fan of yours. All he posts on his channel are covers of your songs, and he’s actually getting really popular on YouTube.” 

“Is that so?” Oikawa says, only half paying attention.

“Over a million subscribers now, actually.”

“ _Seriously?_ ” 

Seeing the surprised look on the other male's face, Iwaizumi grabs his phone back and pulls up another video, holding it up for Oikawa to see. "Here. Watch this one next."

The next one actually has the Shouyou guy sitting up in front of the camera in a more vlog-style setting. He is wearing an oversized hoodie with his university's name emblazoned on the front in big, blocked letters. 

_“So, your fans want to know more about you, Sho!”_ A male voice says off-camera, and Oikawa watches as Shouyou blinks and tilts his head to the side in thought. 

_“Oh! What do they want to know?”_

_“Let's start with—What school you go to and what you’re studying.”_

_“I go to a local university here in the Miyagi prefecture, and I’m actually trying to be a professional volleyball player,"_ Shouyou says brightly into the camera, gesturing behind him to the posters of professional volleyball teams on his wall and the assortment of athletic gear visible behind him. _"I play on our school’s team, and I’m hoping to get scouted by the V-League sometime soon. So, you guys should keep an eye out for me!"_ He winks playfully at the camera, holding up a peace sign. 

Oikawa turns to look at Iwaizumi with wide eyes. “Did he just say volleyball? In the Miyagi prefecture?”

"Yeah." Iwaizumi nods, the corners of his lips curling upwards. "At first, I didn't even recognize him, but then when I watched this video I realized that we had played him before back in middle school. Remember?"

Oikawa furrows his brows as he tries to recall, but to no avail. In middle school? That had been so long ago. _Ten years_ , in fact. It had been during his last year in middle school that he had been scouted at a local talent show, inadvertently becoming an almost instant pop sensation overnight. He could barely remember _anything_ before then, let alone some orange-haired kid who they might have played against in a volleyball match.

The guy in the video continues chattering off-handedly, grinning a mile wide, and Oikawa feels another rush of familiarity.

"Huh," the brunette manages to say, blinking dumbly at the screen even as the video ends.

“Pretty interesting, right?” Iwaizumi says, taking his phone and putting it back in his pocket. 

“Yeah,” Oikawa responds, unable to shake the restless feeling in his chest. “Interesting.”

-

Okay, so interesting may have been a bit of an understatement, if Oikawa is being honest.

The second that he is done with shoots for the day, the pop star promptly locks himself in the confines of his luxurious penthouse suite and immediately searches up _Ninja_Shouyou_ on his laptop, clicking on the first video that pops up.

Oikawa assures himself that he's just appeasing a harmless curiosity. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Even still, he tries to ignore the rising feeling of guilt in his chest at the rush of excitement he feels when the orange-haired male appears on his screen.

Unlike the ones from before, this one is clearly filmed with an old camera phone. The angle is completely off and the audio is shoddy as hell, but somehow that still doesn't take away from Shouyou's natural charm and talent, and Oikawa is instantly hooked the second that the other boy begins to play.

“ _Yo_ _u are the one that I’ve been waiting for,”_ Shouyou sings to the camera, the smile never leaving his face as he gently changes chords with every line, “ _Y_ _ou’re all I want, I’ll never let you go.”_

One of his debut hits, Oikawa recognizes instantly. Judging by the baby fat that still clings to the boy's cheeks and his somewhat smaller stature in the video, he has to guess that this is probably one of _Ninja_Shouyou_ 's first videos. The kid looks like he is either just out of middle school or maybe just starting high school—still years away from the guy he had seen in the initial video, playing like a sun-kissed Adonis in his college dorm room.

Oikawa pauses momentarily as a thought suddenly occurs to him.

Just how long has this kid been covering his songs?

He quickly scrolls down to check the date when the video was posted and cocks his head to the side curiously when he sees it. _Ten years ago_. 

There's something about the date that tugs at Oikawa's memory, and he bites at the inside of his cheek, mulling the thought over in his head as he clicks on the next video. 

...And the next. And the next. And the next.

By the time he gets to the video where _Ninja_Shouyou_ is celebrating having over ten thousand subscribers, it's almost midnight and Oikawa is still wide awake, staring at his laptop screen with rapt attention. 

He's being a bit ridiculous, he knows _._ And what he's doing is probably _not_ healthy—not in the slightest. But at this point, Oikawa is far too invested now to stop.

In the current video he's watching, Oikawa immediately observes a noticeable change in demeanor in the other male. Shouyou's in college now—judging from the familiar backdrop of the college dorm room—and there’s an easygoing confidence to him that hadn’t been there before in the previous videos. Eyeing the date of the video curiously, Oikawa realizes that there's about three months in between this video being posted and the last one. 

And after about a few seconds in, it becomes quite evident to Oikawa just what _Ninja_Shouyou_ was doing during this extended time away. With the higher video quality _—'God bless'_ , the pop star whispers to his bedroom ceiling in gratitude—Oikawa can see the clear lines of muscle that flex when Shouyou strums on the guitar this time around. The short-sleeved shirt he's wearing shows off toned biceps that the kid _definitely_ did not have before. Perks of joining the college volleyball team, Oikawa thinks to himself appreciatively as he admires the newly tanned skin that seems to further emphasize the freckles on the other male's cheeks.

Oikawa must not have been the only one to notice the dramatic change in appearance in the other male, because the singer eyes the way the view counts seem to double and then quadruple with the subsequent videos that follow.

He doesn't blame them.

That night, Oikawa watches every single one. Some of them, embarrassingly enough, even _more_ than once.

There is one particular video where Shouyou is wearing a pair of loose sweatpants and no shirt, playing a stripped down acoustic version of one of his more fast-paced songs, and Oikawa can't stop the way his eyes seem to eagerly drink in the sight of him. He unwittingly commits to memory the way the morning light comes through the blinds of the window next to him and casts strips of sunlight across the boy's tanned skin—making it glow. And Oikawa wonders what it would be like to do to Shouyou what the other male is currently doing to his song—stripping it down completely and making it his own.

Oikawa watches the video five more times and tries not feel overwhelmingly guilty about it.

Though, by far, his favorite videos are the ones where Shouyou finishes playing a song and spends the rest of the time just gushing about his apparent crush on the pop star.

_“He’s just so cool and so talented,”_ the orange-haired male says, eyes bright and shining. _“And he writes all of his own songs, you know? He’s not just a regular pop star. He’s—“_

_"Okay, okay. We get it!"_ The same off-camera voice from before calls out teasingly—Oikawa finds out in a later video that this is apparently _Ninja_Shouyou's_ roommate, who he affectionately calls 'Guchi'. _"You have a huge gay crush on Oikawa Tooru."_

Shouyou reddens adorably in the video, but doesn't even try to deny it—much to Oikawa's delight. Instead, the other male grins a bit bashfully, shrugging his shoulders. _"He’s just really amazing, that's all.”_

Oikawa feels his heart beat faster at the words and wants nothing more than to reach through the screen of his laptop and trace the dimples on the other male's cheek. But for probably the hundredth time that night, he forces himself to cut off his line of thinking before it can go any further and tells himself that he should probably get some sleep... 

Because it's nearing 3 in the morning, and he can already feel his eyelids start to droop heavily even as he struggles to keep them open.

Because Iwa-chan will probably give him an earful if he shows up late to his interview with _Japan Weekly_ tomorrow, and he would very much like to avoid getting lectured first thing in the morning. 

Because _Ninja_Shouyou_ is _not_ his soulmate...

And Oikawa _really_ needs to stop.

-

He doesn't stop.

Instead, Oikawa does a little digging.

The kid’s name is Hinata Shouyou. He’s 21-years-old and a third year at his university. He’s also a wing-spiker for the varsity volleyball team. A couple of easy Google searches reveal that he's into manga—if the kid's Twitter layout is anything to go by—has a younger sister named Natsu and is actually _very_ talented at jumping.

And Oikawa is definitely _not_ obsessed. Absolutely not.

The fact that he has subscribed to _Ninja_Shouyou’_ s channel is just a matter of paying tribute to a loyal fan. 

When his latest video is uploaded, Oikawa is in the middle of a meeting with his creative team. They are in the conference room of the recording studio, listening to the president of his record label drone on about the next publicity move that he needed to make to stay in the headlines, when he gets the alert on his phone.

“Can I be excused?” Oikawa asks innocently, using his finger to quickly slide the YouTube notification away from his home screen when Iwaizumi leans in from beside him.

“This entire meeting is literally about _you_ ,” Iwaizumi says in a flat tone, arching a brow when the singer hums under his breath.

“Great. Awesome. I trust that you all have it handled, then. I’ll be right back!” Oikawa responds, shooting them all a double peace sign as he traipses out of the room, ignoring the mix of curious and annoyed glances thrown his way.

Once in the privacy of a nearby bathroom stall, Oikawa slides on his earphones and plays the video, grinning softly to himself when _Ninja_Shouyou_ appears on the screen in his trademark university hoodie.

_"So, a lot of you guys have been asking about whether you can send me fan mail and gifts, and I'm seriously so flattered, you have no idea!"_ Shouyou's voice is bordering on sheepish as he rubs the back of his head. _"And after talking to Guchi about it, we've decided to set up a PO Box address for this channel. Thank you guys so much for watching and subscribing! Hope you enjoy this next cover of 'Don't Ever Walk Away'."_

At the bottom of the screen a local PO BOX address is listed. 

Oikawa takes a screenshot of it almost immediately.

“You want to what?” Iwaizumi says incredulously, almost spitting out his coffee as he turns to stare at the pop star who just reappeared in the doorway of the conference room, grinning like a little kid.

”I want to get him something!” Oikawa proclaims excitedly, hands on his hips. "That _Ninja_Shouyou_ guy!”

“Who?” Hanamaki asks curiously from beside him, glancing up from the pages of documents strewn about the table. Meanwhile, the dozen or so other individuals in the room, used to the singer's flighty behavior, continue to type on their phones and laptops, whispering softly to one another as they work.

Iwaizumi sighs, rubbing his temples. “This kid on YouTube who has been playing covers of Shittykawa’s songs.”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of him actually,” Matsukawa says off-handedly, tapping at something on his phone screen. "Someone sent me one of his videos just the other day."

Oikawa instantly perks up at that and turns to look at the dark-haired male with shining eyes. "He's good, right, Mattsun?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Matsukawa responds, looking up from his phone to consider the pop star with narrowed eyes. "But...why do you want to get him something, exactly?"

Oikawa clears his throat, pretending to look over Hanamaki's shoulder at some mostly illegible legal documents so that his expression would be hidden from view. “No reason, really. Just think it would be cool to kind of pay tribute to a loyal fan, you know. I mean, he’s made a whole channel for me and everything, so it’s the least I could do.”

“That's nice of you,” Hanamaki says, cocking his head to the side. “And what exactly are you planning to gift this fanboy of yours?”

“Nothing big. Maybe a T-shirt or two, a couple of signed albums,” Oikawa lies through his teeth, still not looking up. 

“I suppose it could be a good publicity move,” the president of the record label says from the other end of the table, rubbing his chin in thought before turning to look over at Iwaizumi. “What do you think?”

The dark-haired man still does not look convinced, but at the sight of Oikawa blinking innocently back at him, he only sighs, waving his hand dismissively. "Okay. Fine. Do what you want. Just...don't be an idiot about it, okay? We don't need any negative press." 

Oikawa sticks his tongue out at the other male, but feels rightfully pleased with himself. 

Unbeknownst to the rest of his team, Oikawa has no intention of gifting _Ninja_Shouyou_ with anything as basic as just a few fan items. No, the second he saw that PO Box address, the gears in his head began to turn as he mulled over what gift would be the most fitting for his biggest fan.

He does some research.

After sifting through and rewatching a few of Shouyou's videos, Oikawa's eyes narrow in on the faded, old acoustic guitar that the college student holds in his hands in each one. Probably an old hand-me-down or something, if he had to guess. He supposes that there is a certain charm to it—in that sad, rundown, vintage sort of way that folk artists seem to be so fond of.

But Oikawa can't have _Ninja_Shouyou_ going around making videos of _his_ songs with _that_ old thing, he reasons with himself with a mental shake of his head. Not on his watch.

After some deliberation and a few phone calls to the local guitar shops in the area, Oikawa ultimately decides on a limited edition 12-string Gibson Hummingbird. It's one of the best acoustic-electrics that he has in his own collection, and the vintage dreadnought designs etched on the wood are one of the most eye-catching—sure to get some attention in Shouyou's upcoming videos. Oikawa doesn’t even blink an eye as he inputs the address of the PO Box when he makes the order, already thrumming with nervous anticipation as he imagines the kid's reaction when he receives it.

When Oikawa gets an alert the following week that another video has been posted, the pop star pauses the entire photoshoot he's currently posing for and announces he's taking a quick ten-minute break, eagerly bouncing on the balls of his feet when he disappears in his dressing room, closing the curtains shut behind him.

Imagine his shock when instead of seeing the beautiful vintage guitar he's purchased, Oikawa is greeted by the sight of _Ninja_Shouyou_ clutching his same old, shitty guitar to his chest when the video begins. He can't even watch the rest of it.

When Oikawa bursts out of his dressing room not seconds later, looking somewhat ridiculous with the irked expression on his face and dressed in the high-fashion clothing he is supposed to be modeling for the shoot, Iwaizumi can only blink at him in confusion as he gives the other male a speculative once-over. 

“What’s wrong with you.”

Oikawa immediately holds out his phone, pouting as he points to the still image of Shouyou on the screen. “He’s not using my gift. Why?”

Iwaizumi looks down at the phone and then back up at the other man, reaching up to scratch at the side of his chin in bewilderment. “What...exactly did you get him…?”

The brunette huffs, adjusting the oversized fur coat over his shoulders as he responds, “A Gibson Hummingbird.”

Iwaizumi instantly chokes, eyes becoming wide in disbelief as he registers the words. “Aren't those…over $3000?”

“$4000," Oikawa corrects, lifting up his chin, "And your point?"

“Are you crazy!?” Iwaizumi shouts, drawing the attention of the nearby crewmembers in the area. Oikawa pays them no mind, growing more impatient by the second.

"I don't see what the problem is?" Oikawa remarks, frowning as he glares down at the phone and then back up at the other male. "Why isn't he using it? It's a great guitar."

“You are totally missing the point here! You can’t just...buy the kid an extremely expensive gift like that, you idiot!" Iwaizumi continues to yell, shaking his head as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Did you leave a note at least?”

“...A note?" Oikawa repeats, tilting his head to the side. "I mean the gift kind of speaks for itself, doesn't it?"

Iwaizumi gives him a flat stare and then hits the play button on the screen. And even as they both watch, Oikawa finds that he can't even fully appreciate the video like he normally would, still far too peeved at the situation.

It’s fine, he tells himself, he’ll just re-watch it later.

When the video ends, Shouyou appears back in front of the camera, chewing on his bottom lip and looking uncharacteristically nervous.

“ _And for the mysterious person who sent me the incredible gift I received the other day_ ,” the college student begins, looking down at his hands. “ _I’m...I’m so flattered, but I can’t possibly accept it_.”

Iwaizumi shoots him a pointed look, while Oikawa continues to pout at the screen. 

_"If I knew who you were, I'd be happy to return it to you?”_ Shouyou continues, smiling awkwardly at the camera. _“Otherwise, there's this really great non-profit that raises money for music programs in intercity schools, and I think they could really use something like this for their upcoming charity auction...”_

“What?” Oikawa exclaims immediately, looking horrified at the thought. “He’s going to donate it?” 

“Good for him, I guess,” Iwaizumi nods approvingly as the video ends.

“But…” Oikawa trails off when he sees his companion give him an evaluative look.

“I thought you said you were going to get him something small,” Iwaizumi states, glaring at him. “What happened to just an autographed T-shirt or whatever? What exactly compelled you to drop four grand on this kid that you don’t even know?”

Oikawa huffs in response, not meeting his gaze as he uses his fingers to fling off nonexistent lint from his coat. “He's talented, all right? And he should have a better guitar. I thought it would be a nice thing to do.”

“Really,” Iwaizumi says, clearly not buying it. "You're just doing this to be _nice_?"

"Of course."

“You know, it almost seems like…" The dark-haired man stops mid-sentence as he narrows his eyes to where Oikawa's hand still grips the phone that displays _Ninja_Shouyou's_ channel. Iwaizumi clearly looks like he wants to say something further, but instead he only shakes his head.

“Never mind. I suppose it really shouldn't surprise me that you don't know the first thing about giving gifts, Trashykawa.”

“What? Of course I do!”

“In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you give _anyone_ a gift," Iwaizumi challenges. "You've only received them."

“That’s not true!” Oikawa responds indignantly, looking rightfully offended by the statement. "I give Nee-chan gifts all the time!"

"Letting Nee-san use your platinum card to buy herself Fendi purses is not the same thing as giving her gifts," Iwaizumi points out in a deadpan tone. 

"That's not what she says," Oikawa grumbles back, thinking of the delighted texts his sister sends him with her posing happily with her newly acquired items. Iwa-chan _clearly_ doesn't know what he's talking about.

“You two are _both_ ridiculous," the manager states, rolling his eyes, "Now, hurry up and get back on set before they start docking our pay."

-

The thing is, Oikawa has always loved the idea of having a soulmate.

He loves picturing the different romantic scenarios in his head—how they would meet, what they would say—and meeting new people even becomes a bit of a game to him.

There’s always this moment, just as he’s reaching out to shake someone's hands—a tell-tale rush of excitement and anticipation thrumming in his veins. _Maybe this one_ , Oikawa thinks hopefully, trying his best not to be completely obvious about the way he stares intently at their wrists the second he gets a chance, searching for the mark that meant they were _his_.

Though, it doesn’t take long for him to get used to the sight of bare, markless skin; and soon, he learns how to mask his inevitable disappointment beneath a polite, practiced smile.

_It's just a matter of waiting_ , he reminds himself. _The right place, right time._

And Oikawa has never doubted it before.

That is, not until _Ninja_Shouyou_ decided to take up permanent residence inside his head. 

Now, Oikawa spends his nights tracing the intricate mark on his wrist, wondering what it would be like to not be marked for someone else.

_"Maybe they like having the choice,"_ his sister's voice echoes in his mind, and Oikawa wishes he was just as naïve and as hopeful as he was back then. Because then he wouldn't have to feel so guilty about the way he imagines hazel eyes and a bright, laughing smile every time he closes his eyes.

_What would it be like to choose?_ Oikawa wonders, pulling out his notebook and trying put his longing into words.

_“If they’re happy, then does it matter?”_

-

“What if they’re ninety-years-old? Or really ugly or something? No offense," Hanamaki remarks one day as he sits cross-legged on the floor of the recording studio. The light-haired man has a tablet held up to his face, and he's using his other hand to scroll through a Google Doc of lyrics that Oikawa has written for his upcoming album.

“So what if they are?” Oikawa responds in a haughty tone, crossing his legs on top of the table in front of him. He's used to this line of questioning, and he rarely takes offense to it these days. Most people just didn't know what it was like to have a soulmate, after all.

Hanamaki raises his brows as he looks over at him. “I’m just saying—what if you meet them, and you change your mind?”

“I won’t," the brunette answers automatically, shrugging his shoulders.

“But how do you know that?”

“Because they’re my soulmate," Oikawa counters easily, tilting his chair backwards so he can look over and see Iwaizumi entering the recording studio.

“But what if—“

“Leave him alone, Makki,” Iwaizumi chides, walking further into the room with a tray of coffees. He hands one to Matsukawa, who has his headphones on next to the changing table, listening to Oikawa’s newest demo. The other man quirks his mouth in thanks, and continues adjusting the knobs as he listens to the track, seemingly in his own world.

Iwaizumi hands an iced coffee to Hanamaki and an extra hot chai latte to Oikawa, grabbing his own beverage before he discards the tray in the nearby trash can. "Are you two bickering about soulmates again?"

“I am just _asking_ , I mean...listen to these lyrics,” Hanamaki props himself up, still looking down at the tablet, “ _I want to know everything about you. I don’t ever want to live without you.”_

Oikawa purses his lips, making a face at the other male. “What’s wrong with them?”

“Nothing’s _wrong_ with them! They’re _pretty._ All of your lyrics are freaking pretty, okay,” Hanamaki insists, “It’s just...this whole soulmate business—I just don’t get it. You’ve written five albums worth of songs dedicated to this person. How can you be so committed to finding someone and being with them when you literally know _nothing_ about them?”

Oikawa opens his mouth to respond, ready to fall back on one of his default answers— _Because we're destined to be together_. _Because that’s how it’s supposed to be._ _Because..._

"Wait a second," Hanamaki interjects suddenly, voice sounding urgent as he brings the tablet closer to his face, " _All I know are_ _h_ _azel eyes and freckles and your smile, making me feel like I'm coming' home."_

Oikawa freezes as the lyrics he has spent the past few nights writing are spoken out loud, and he hastily takes a generous gulp of his latte, wincing as the scalding hot liquid burns his tongue on the way down.

Hanamaki throws him a suspicious look when he looks up from the screen. "Oikawa. This is the first time that you've _ever_ used specific descriptions in your lyrics."

" _Vath are you thalking abouth_?" The singer retorts goofily with his tongue out in an attempt to cool it down. He clears his throat. "I write lyrics like that all of the time."

"Not like _this,_ you don't," Hanamaki insists loudly, standing up from the floor. "I've read the lyrics of every single one of your songs, and you've never written about a specific eye color or freckles before!"

The light-haired male stalks over to him, pointing at the tablet as he demands, "Who are you talking about?"

" _No one_ ," Oikawa says, hoping the nervous lilt in his tone doesn't give him away. "You're being so dramatic, Makki!"

Iwaizumi wanders over to Hanamaki and grabs the tablet, scrolling through the lyrics as his expression becomes more and more contemplative. "Interesting. So, you're _not_ writing love songs about that _Ninja_Shouyou_ guy?” 

The pop star almost spits out his latte. “W-What?”

“He does have brown eyes _and_ freckles," Hanamaki points out instantly, and Oikawa now suddenly regrets sending him all of those YouTube links.

“Yeah,” Oikawa agrees, purposefully not meeting anyone’s eyes, “And?”

“Well," Iwaizumi begins, placing the tablet on the table and trading an unreadable glance with Hanamaki, "I’ve also noticed that you haven't stopped sending him gifts…”

“How do you…” Oikawa gapes at him with wide eyes, wondering how the other man could possibly know that. With a knowing look, Iwaizumi holds up his phone displaying _Ninja_Shouyou's_ YouTube page.

“I subscribed to his channel, too, dumbass.”

Hanamaki looks at the screen and then over at Oikawa. “Just what exactly have you been sending him?”

“Well…”

After the guitar incident, Oikawa had considered Shouyou's response and decided to scale it back a bit. Or, well...at least he _thought_ he had. Judging from the dark-haired man’s arched brow, Oikawa supposes that he might have still missed the mark somehow.

“You got him a new _camera_?” 

“Well, his video quality really needed work,” Oikawa responds immediately, as if the almost $2000 he spent on the video equipment was nothing more than chump change. And well...it kind of _was,_ if Oikawa is being honest.

“Not to mention new volleyball gear?” Iwaizumi adds, expression still decidedly unimpressed as he scrolls to the next video where Shouyou is holding up a packaged pair of knee pads and a box of brand new Nike shoes.

Oikawa coughs awkwardly into his fist, averting his eyes from the screen. “If he wants to make the V-league, then he should probably step it up, don’t you think?”

“Do you not see what you're doing here?” Iwaizumi exclaims incredulously, not even bothering to respond to Oikawa’s diversion tactics. "With the lyrics and the gifts and you being strangely obsessive about this guy's video uploads?"

Oikawa just stares at him, while Hanamaki's expression becomes thoughtful. “But...what about your soulmate?”

Before Oikawa can answer, there’s a loud whoop from the front of the room, and the three turn to see Matsukawa grinning wildly as he takes off his headphones, looking like he's just won the lottery.

“Guys. This song slaps. Check it out.”

“This song _slaps_ , he says,” Hanamaki promptly mocks, rolling his eyes. “When did I start dating a middle schooler?”

Matsukawa snorts at that, and then takes a moment to survey the room, gaze resting on Oikawa's guilty expression and Iwaizumi's frustrated glower. “Why do you guys look like someone died. Did I miss something?”

“Oh, not much,” Iwaizumi says in an off-hand tone, gesturing with his thumb back at Oikawa. “Except the fact that Shittykawa is cheating on his soulmate.”

“I am _not_ ,” the pop star immediately whines in response, throwing the other two a wide-eyed look.

“Then what exactly would you call this?” Iwaizumi responds, gesturing to his phone screen where _Ninja_Shouyou_ is still displayed. Oikawa stares at it for a brief moment before turning back to the others. 

“I—I don’t know,” Oikawa admits, frowning to himself. Because in all honesty? He has no idea what he's doing or why he can't stop thinking about the guy. Despite the fact that he's built his entire life—his whole career and identity—around finding his soulmate, and now just a flash of those dimples, and he's suddenly ready to throw it all out the window. “There’s just something about this guy. I can’t get him out of my head.”

The four of them are quiet for a long moment, before Matsukawa suddenly speaks up, "Well, who's to say that this guy _isn't_ your soulmate?"

Oikawa freezes, slowly turning to look at the dark-haired male with a look of disbelief. “ _What?_ ”

“I mean,” Matsukawa says, eyes squinting in thought as he rubs his chin, “How do you know that he’s _not_ your soulmate?”

Oikawa continues to look at him like he’s insane. “Because Shouyou can’t possibly be my soulmate, he doesn’t have my mark—”

The brunette cuts himself short, eyebrows furrowing as he tries to think back to when he’s actually ever seen _Ninja_Shouyou_ ’s wrist. He must have shown it before in a previous video or something. Without even thinking, Oikawa pulls out his phone and immediately looks up his channel, clicking on a video at random, his eyes narrowing in on the wristbands that the orange-haired student is wearing as he strums his guitar. He clicks on another video. Shouyou's wrists are covered beneath his oversized hoodie. And then another. He's got a pair of bracelets on, hiding his wrists from view.

Oikawa looks up from his phone, all of the sudden feeling weightless and light-headed. “There’s no way....”

Hanamaki nudges Iwaizumi with his elbow, muttering, “How far is this kid’s university again?”

-

It's one of the few nights that Hinata has the apartment to himself. 

Yamaguchi is spending the night over at Yachi's—for the second time this week, Hinata did not fail to point out with an impish grin as his roommate immediately turned flustered in response—and Hinata already has his music blasting from the speakers, taking full advantage of having no one around to judge him.

He's singing to the lyrics of one of Oikawa Tooru's older hits, making note to add it onto his list of future cover videos, and wondering where he should order take-out from when the doorbell unexpectedly rings.

Hinata abruptly stops in place, dropping the remote he had been using as a mic to blink at the door in confusion. Had he been expecting someone? 

He quickly looks down at his attire and wonders if he should maybe change out of his checkered pajama set before answering the door, but then he hears the sound of insistent knocking and shrugs to himself. At least he's not naked, he tells himself, padding over to the door and quickly unlocking it. He swings it open, mouth open and ready to greet whoever is on the other side when he freezes in place, mind shuddering to a halt at the sight that greets him.

_What..._

Hinata blinks once. Twice. He rubs at his eyes insistently, before once again squinting at the figure in front of him, wondering if maybe he was seeing some sort of illusion.

It's no use.

Oikawa Tooru is still standing in his hallway, looking amused and decidedly out-of-place in his designer jeans and glossy, pastel pink button-up shirt. Hinata gapes at him, unable to formulate a cohesive thought, let alone a proper greeting.

“Ninja Shouyou, right?” The pop star says with a charming grin, causing Hinata to squawk unintelligibly at the sound of his own name being spoken out loud by the famous star. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of asking around to find out where you lived."

At the sight of movement out of the corner of his eye, Hinata whips his head around to see a few of his neighbors peeking out of their doors with their phones out, no doubt already recording the exchange taking place in the hallway. Normally he would glare at the blatant eavesdropping, but still starstruck, Hinata can only step to the side and gesture vaguely back at his apartment in what he hopes is an invitation to come in.

Oikawa takes the hint, amusement still clearly etched on his handsome face as he walks through the entryway of his apartment. Hinata quickly closes the door behind him and spins around to watch as the brunette looks around the room curiously. It's only then, as his eyes land on the speaker resting on the kitchen counter, that Hinata realizes with growing mortification that he's still playing Oikawa's album at max volume—the sound of the singer's voice belting out some of his favorite lyrics as familiar beats seem to resound off of the walls only add to Hinata's embarrassment as he rushes over to turn the device off.

"Oh my god," Hinata mumbles in disbelief as the apartment is suddenly blanketed in an awkward silence.

"There's no need to be embarrassed," Oikawa assures, "I mean, I already knew you were a fan."

Hinata tries not to die on the inside as he turns to stare at the singer with wide eyes, feeling his face grow hot. "Y-You watched my videos?"

The singer chuckles at his expression. “They're actually the reason why I'm here."

"Oh," Hinata says, heart thumping wildly in his chest, not being able to stop the rush of words that seem to stumble out of his mouth, "Am I in trouble or something? Because I made sure to use a copyright disclaimer in all of the videos, and I never make a profit off of them and—"

“No, calm down," Oikawa laughs, shaking his head, "You’re not in any trouble.”

“Then…” _Why are you in my apartment?_ Hinata wants to ask, still staring at the brunette in mild confusion.

“I mean, I’m a little upset that you haven’t been using any of the cool stuff I bought you, but…” The pop star trails off, crossing his arms as he looks over at the familiar packaged items that lay in the corner of the living room. Hinata follows his gaze, eyes widening as he registers his words. 

Hinata chokes. “T-that was _you_?!”

Oikawa turns back to the smaller man with a distinct pout on his face. “I'll try not to take offense to the fact that you're donating all of the things I've sent you.”

"I—Well, um, they're going to a good cause?" Hinata finds himself saying, half-questioning his own sanity.

"I'm sure."

“Can you, uh, maybe explain what's going on?” Hinata asks, growing more and more puzzled by the second. "I think I might be having a stroke. Or I'm dreaming. Either way, there's no possible explanation as to why Oikawa Tooru is standing in my dorm room."

"Need me to pinch you?" Oikawa offers with a sly grin, chuckling when Hinata throws him a wild, disbelieving look in response.

“Okay," the brunette concedes, still smiling as he clasps both of his hands together and points them at the smaller male. "So, here’s the thing. I've watched every single one of your videos. And there is just one, small little detail that I couldn’t help but notice…”

Licking his suddenly dry lips, Hinata considers the other male curiously. “And uh...what’s that?”

Oikawa wastes no time undoing the buttons of his cuffs, carefully rolling up the sleeve and revealing his left arm—bare, if not for the leather bracelets covering his wrist. Hinata swallows nervously as the other man unclasps the ties holding the bracelets together, feeling his heartbeat thump loudly in his chest. "In all of the videos you posted, you've never actually shown your wrist. You always keep it covered."

Hinata unconsciously rubs at his arm through his sleeve, as though attempting to relieve a phantom itch.

Oikawa takes a few steps closer, turning his palm upward to display the beautiful design intricately etched on his skin. "Will you show me yours?"

Biting at his bottom lip anxiously, Hinata takes a deep, steadying breath in attempt to calm his racing heart. Shakily, he reaches to pull his own sleeve up the length of his arm, revealing an identical mark.

“I can't believe it…” Oikawa whispers, voice giddy with delight and disbelief. He reaches out to place their wrists side-by-side, and they both marvel at the picture they make. _Like a constellation_ , Hinata unwittingly thinks to himself, with all the interconnecting lines and colors. 

"Oh my god," Hinata suddenly says, shaking his head incredulously. "I...I can't believe it actually worked."

Oikawa looks up from where their arms stay connected. "What worked?"

"Uh, well, you see," Hinata stammers, feeling himself blush as he peers up at the other man through long, overgrown bangs. "You probably don't remember this, but ten years ago...we actually played against each other in a volleyball tournament."

_"At first, I didn't even recognize him, but then when I watched this video I realized that we had played him before back in middle school. Remember?"_

"Back then, I actually kind of sucked at volleyball," Hinata admits, chuckling softly to himself, "And it was my first real time being on a team. You guys beat us 25 to 1."

"Oh," Oikawa responds simply, clearly not knowing what to say to that, but Hinata only waves him off with a smile. "It's okay. You guys deserved the win. Trust me."

"But I had been really down and wondering if I should even continue playing volleyball. But you..." Hinata trails off suddenly, lifting his chin to looks up at him with sparkling eyes. "You found me in the bathroom crying after our match, and you didn't make fun of me or tell me to quit like everyone else did. Instead, you told me how great my jump was." Hinata lets out a small disbelieving laugh as he remembers, "And that you thought my broad attack was really cool."

"I was so shocked that you were even speaking to me—let alone trying to cheer me up—that I almost missed it," Hinata says, "You ruffled my hair, and just for a second, I saw your mark, right beneath your track jacket. And it was like..."

The orange-haired student made wild gestures with his arms. "Like _gwahh_ and _pahh,_ you know?"

Oikawa stares at him, dumbfounded, as Hinata continues.

"But before I could say anything, your teammates came into the bathroom and pulled you away," Hinata says, shaking his head. "I remember being so mad at myself, for not just calling out to you right then. And I told myself that when I saw you again at the Spring Interhigh Qualifiers, I would definitely tell you..."

"...But, I got scouted by the talent agency a month before then," Oikawa finishes, eyes widening in shock. "I didn't go to Qualifiers."

"I thought I had missed my chance," Hinata admits, looking down at their marks for a moment. "You became this like crazy famous pop sensation overnight, and I had no idea how I was ever going to get in contact with you again."

"Then the videos..." Oikawa trails off, as the realization hits him just then.

"They were my way of trying to get your attention, to be honest," Hinata says with a small laugh, "I thought that if I made these silly, little videos of me singing your songs...that maybe someday you would find me again..."

Hinata grins up at him, lifting up his wrist and pointing at his mark. "And you did! So it worked, see?"

_“Well, if you’re lucky, Tooru-chan, maybe one day they’ll find you.”_

Hinata has about a half-second warning, before he's pulled tightly into the taller man's chest.

"Umm..." He mumbles unintelligibly into the pastel shirt.

"You're not allowed to post any more videos of you without a shirt on," Oikawa mutters into the strands of orange hair that tickle his cheek.

"Huh?"

"And you're keeping the guitar, too. I can just donate money to those charities."

"Hey! Wait a minute—"

"Let's go on a date," Oikawa suddenly suggests, before the other man can protest.

  
  
“A date?” Hinata repeats blankly, shifting so that he can look up at Oikawa in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm starving."

"Oh. Uh, sure," Hinata smiles. "A date sounds nice."

"Great," Oikawa pulls back for a moment to give the other male a slow once-over, a smirk suddenly curling up at the corner of his mouth, "Also, what are the chances that you'll keep the PJs on? Very cute.”

Hinata looks down at himself, face growing hot in mortification as he realizes what he's been wearing the entire time.

" _Oh my god._ "

-

_“Hey guys! Welcome back to my channel. Sorry for going on an extended break, but I am hoping to make it up to you guys by bringing on a surprise guest...”_

Hinata beams at the camera when Oikawa walks into view.

**Author's Note:**

> (1) Title borrowed from "Green Eyes" by Coldplay, but I'm pretty sure all of the other lyrics are courtesy of TSwift. Don't ask me why, but in my headcanon, if Oikawa was a popstar he would basically be a male version of her lol.
> 
> (2) The YouTube idea was inspired by an Avengers fic called 'Pete's Eats' by bloodgutsandstarbucks. 
> 
> (3) Taking a short break from writing OiHina to start a new MiyaHina multi-chap fic. Eeeek! Follow me on Twitter for more fic updates!
> 
>   
> [@earlgrey_mt](https://twitter.com/earlgrey_mt/status/1331087540741410817?s=20)


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